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The Bay Window
The Bay Window is the sitting area located in Riley's bedroom. It is an essential element of nearly every episode of the series. Riley and Maya spend a great deal of time-- hours, and even days on end, sitting in the Bay Window discussing everything from school to friends to matters of the heart. Usually the two sit there alone (with Maya almost invariably sitting to Riley's right), but there have been several occasions where they beckon others to either join them there, or to sit there on their own and work out their own issues;. there have also been occasions where Riley and Maya use the Bay Window to hold court, voicing their own opinions about things to others. Riley, and especially Maya, rightfully regard the Bay Window as their own special place; Maya refers to it as her "sanctuary from the storm". Their closest friends, primarily Farkle and Lucas, occasionally join them by climbing through one of the windows (usually the one behind where Maya often sits); Riley's bedroom is on an upper level floor, and the unseen fire escape outside her window is how they are able to get in. History The history of the Bay Window itself (and the apartment as a whole) dates back to at least the 1920s. In Girl Meets World: Of Terror 2, Riley and Maya are visited by the "Ghost of the Bay Window" who lived and apparently died there; the Ghost had whispered to Riley the night before that she and Maya should dress as Roaring 20s-style "flappers" for Halloween. The Ghost mentions that the bedroom was once hers and that, like Riley and Maya, she too used the Bay Window to plan her own schemes and capers. The Ghost made a promise to herself that she would remain there until someone else came to appreciate how wonderful the place still is. When she becomes convinced that the Bay Window is in good care with its current occupants, the Ghost keeps her promise and finally departs for good to keep another ghost company. Personal History (Riley & Maya) The Bay Window is where Riley and Maya first met. During a flashback sequence in the season 2 episode Girl Meets the Bay Window, a five-year old Riley is sitting alone and singing to herself when Maya, enticed by Riley's singing, climbs through the window and sits next to her. She tells Riley that she ran away from home because her parents are constantly arguing. When asked what she does in the Bay Window Riley responds, "I sit here, and I hope.. for someone to come in and sit with me". The two become fast friends and Riley nicknames Maya "Peaches". Riley then warns Maya that she is dangerous and will be nothing but trouble, but Maya quickly proves the opposite when Cory checks in with Riley on her baby monitor; Maya answers in Riley's voice. Design and motifs Throughout Riley and Maya's elementary and middle school years, the Bay Window's design (along with the rest of Riley's bedroom) remains typical of a preteen girl. The room's walls are primarily purple (Riley's favorite color), the bay window's accent curtains are a warm peach color with white translucent pull-down blinds adorned with butterfly patterns. The seat cushions are mainly purple with multicolored flowers. In Girl Meets the Bay Window, as Riley and Maya are about to enter high school, Riley announces she wants to give the Bay Window a makeover, but Maya is strongly against it. Citing the day her father deserted her and Katy, Maya decided that change was not a good thing, but she is even more afraid that by changing the design they're saying goodbye to the Bay Window altogether; Riley is adamant, and begins the change by yanking down one of the accent curtains, much to Maya's consternation. In the process of the makeover, the girls even strip off the drywall flanking both sides of the bay window exposing the bare brick-and-mortar walls behind it. This design is maintained throughout their high school years and until Riley and Maya, as adults, leave it for the final time. Secondary/Makeshift Bay Windows At Topanga's there is a small sitting area underneath each of the two store front windows on either side of the entrance; Riley and Maya have used both of these as secondary bay windows. (When the place was still Svorski's the alcoves were used for shelf space.) In the first of the three-part episode Girl Meets Texas, one of the first things Riley and Maya do is create a bay window in Pappy Joe's house; in front of the window facing Pappy Joe's porch, Riley sits on a short cushioned bull's horn-legged stool while Maya straddles a saddle on its stand. Temporary Changes to the Bay Window In Girl Meets Rileytown, as Maya and Riley sit in the Bay Window discussing Riley's bullying dilemma, Farkle informs Lucas at Topanga's about what's happening to Riley. Knowing that Lucas will be coming to the Bay Window to help, and fearing that he could turn back into "Texas Lucas", the girls attempt to keep him out by barricading the open window using large boxes and storage containers, but Lucas effortlessly pushes the barricade down. In Girl Meets Yearbook, after Yindra congratulates Lucas and Maya on being picked Best Couple for the yearbook, Riley becomes confused, adopts a gloomy personality (naming herself Morotia M. Black), and redecorates the Bay Window in an darkened Gothic style using all of Topanga's black fabrics, including black curtains and accents, and even black cushion covers. Maya eventually pulls the dark curtains down, and the Bay Window later reverts back to its normal style. Others who have used the Bay Window In Girl Meets Smackle, Farkle arrives at the Bay Window expecting to visit Riley, but instead finds Auggie sitting there alone; Auggie wanted to see if sitting there would help to fix his "woman trouble", but he comes to believe that the Bay Window doesn't work for him. In Girl Meets Home for the Holidays, Riley manipulates Shawn and Cory into sitting in the Bay Window to discuss the real reason why Shawn left New York the day Riley was born. Shawn confirms Riley's theory that he left because looking at Riley only reminded Shawn of what he didn't have. After his admission, Riley pulls Cory out of the Bay Window and brings Maya in to sit next to Shawn; comparing their own lives to Cory and Riley, the two begin to form a bond. In Girl Meets Upstate, Lucas, under pressure from Topanga and Katy to announce his choice between Riley and Maya, retreats to the Bay Window, choosing to hold vigil there until the girls come back so he can announce his decision to them first. After sitting there alone for nearly five hours he calls Zay and Farkle there to discuss Riley and Maya shortly before they return. Category:Season 1 Category:Season 2 Category:Season 3 Category:Places Category:Locations